It Was a Good Day
Nas, Wu-Tang, Biggie…back in the 1990s, the East Coast scene was the birthplace of the hardcore brand of Gangsta Rap. From the seminal Illmatic onwards, hip-hop changed the world for a generation of kids and adults worldwide. New York became the focal point of ’90s culture — the clothes, the music, the attitude — it was all must-have. We wanted to be gangstas. We idolized rappers and consumed the sheer theatre of the East Coast-West Coast feud, real-life tragedy and all.
Meanwhile, in the world of gaming, several incarnations of turn-based strategy games were enabling a generation of kids to tap into the darker side of what that culture represented. Of course, it was all harmless fun, but whether you played Drug Lord or Dope Wars, the principles were there: drugs, street cred, the thrill of the trade. The competition was almost as rife in schools as it was on the mean streets. Break times became frantic clickathons, a quest to be a top dog and win the bragging rights. In-game credibility truly carried over into real life.
Do you want to buy, sell, or jet? These were the most pressing decisions for a generation of young gamers in the ’90s, as they moved around New York finding cheap deals and trying to sell enough drugs to pay back the game’s loan shark, all while evading Officer Hardass and his deputies. Need protection? Get a gun. Cornered? Run, surrender, or fight. The concept was simple, accessible — and seriously addictive.
But this was the ’90s. Tech was limited and the game itself was extremely basic. What made it maddening was the random element — knowing that you could lose everything you’d worked to gain at the drop of a hat. No matter how hard you pressed ‘R’ to run away, you could end up being gunned down by the police through no fault of your own. Just as it felt like there was an element of skill to the game, it was all snatched away in an instant. It’d drive you crazy.
Of course, it mattered little in the grand scheme of things. All a bit of light-hearted entertainment. There’d be another chance to win back those bragging rights the next day, week, or month. It was only a game.
But what if there had been something riding on it? What if you could have won real money selling those fake drugs? What if instead of randomization, the outcomes in the Dope Wars game had been based on the decisions you made, and the time you spent playing could really have paid off? Would the chance to ‘Deal 2 Earn’ tempt you back?
It’s time to dust off your Timberlands and stick Ready to Die on full volume. Because ‘you know very well who you are…’
DopeWarz is back, baby.
Gangsta’s Paradise
The new and improved DopeWarz brings the thrill of the original games back to life. The concept, the graphics, the music — it’s all a faithful homage to the original. But within that familiarity, there are several points of difference that have brought the game into the 21st century.
BLOCKZ — buy an area of a city and earn money when other players deal DRUGZ on your patch.
DOZ — buy an operational hub and the raw materials you need to build an empire.
DOPEZ — the characters you buy have a massive effect on your success within the game. DEALERZ, BODYGUARDZ, ENFORCERZ, SPECIALISTZ — they all have their utility, and you can upgrade them all as you progress through the game and earn XP in the form of RESPECT.
There are also a whole host of other assets to help you deal your way to success. Burner phones, cars, weapons and an in-game black market complete with its own fee system.
Amongst these developments, though, the core goals of the original remain the same. Buy, sell, loot, upgrade…and, of course, stay away from law enforcement and other players who will try to loot you.
But where the consequences of getting caught or killed in the old game ran no further than the disappointment of a ‘GAME OVER’ message, the new DopeWarz raises the stakes.
Now, you’re playing for real C.R.E.A.M.
With My Mind on My Money and My Money on My Mind
Blockchain technology is changing the world of gaming as we know it. Now, in-game currencies can have real value as modern games harness the power of smart contracts and open-source token development. This means that as you buy, sell, and loot within the DopeWarz universe, the tokens you earn have real-world value. And because you can cash out at any time and convert your tokens to fiat currency, DopeWarz now represents a chance for you to make money while you play.
$DDZ — earn Dirty Dollaz, the in-game currency, through the actions you take when you play. Buying, selling, upgrading, looting — participation earns $DDZ.
$DRUG — convert your Dirty Dollaz into $DRUG tokens, the non-inflationary DopeWarz governance token, by laundering your $DDZ in-game through casinos or bribes. Use $DRUG to have your say in the development of the game and get rewarded for your participation. $DRUG has a max supply cap of 1B tokens and helps drive the value of blockchain games, allowing for truly player-led in-game economies to flourish.
This model is what is known as “Play-to-Earn” gaming — or “Deal-2-Earn” in this case. All you need is a digital wallet and some cryptocurrency to get started. You’ll soon find that when you add real money into the equation, DopeWarz becomes even more addictive.
NFTs: The New World Order
No digital economy can be complete without tradable assets, and the DopeWarz game achieves this by using Non-Fungible Tokens — NFTs.
An NFT is a piece of data that cannot be duplicated and it is this uniqueness that gives them value. In the DopeWarz game, your DOPEZ and BLOCKZ come in the form of NFTs. Choose your character and your environment, buy them with cryptocurrency, then upgrade them in-game as you progress. DopeWarz offers multiple opportunities to accessorize with weapons, vehicles, bling — everything you buy with your $DRUG tokens contributes to your RESPECT level and, therefore, the strength of your assets. Of course, stronger assets also give you a better chance of success in the game.
As you upgrade your DOPEZ and BLOCKZ, they also become more valuable to other players. But while these in-game opponents can loot your $DDZ, they can’t steal your NFTs. So, DopeWarz has implemented its own marketplace — ‘The Black Market’ — in which you can buy, sell, and trade your assets. If you upgrade and customize your DOPEZ enough, they could end up being seriously valuable.
It’s All 4 the Ca$h…
Stakes Is High
DopeWarz has taken an iconic piece of gaming history and breathed new life into it for a new generation of gamers. But the heart of the game remains the same — simple, fast-paced, and seriously fun.
For the ’90s generation, there is familiarity and an easy route into the world of blockchain and Play-to-Earn. For the gamers of today, a player-driven in-game economy, endless customization, a high-tech simulation engine, and no small dose of skill. And when you add upgradable, tradable NFT assets, the intense competitiveness of the original game has stepped up a level too, extending to a global in-game community of players.
The bragging rights of old remain intact, but the stakes have been raised, along with the quality of the gaming experience. DopeWarz is a perfect blend of old and new — classically cool and addictively iconic.
Who said addiction had to be bad?
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